Our Hero De Niro

This week on Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike are joined by their friend Andrew for a deep dive into Mean Streets , Scorsese's raw, Catholic guilt–soaked breakthrough and Robert De Niro's first iconic role as the chaotic Johnny Boy. Together, they discuss the film's wandering structure, evocative street-level style, and what it means to live with sin when absolution isn't coming. Plus: the nature...

In the first episode of  All Mike'd Up , Mike and Mike ditch De Niro and settle into a looser, anything-goes conversation. They read listener emails from friends of the pod, cover Shark Week memories, and discuss proper theme park bathroom etiquette. It's the podcast-within-a-podcast that's part catching up and part comedy free-for-all. Supplemental Link: Mikethefab's Seattle sushi dinner

This week on  Our Hero De Niro , the Mikes dive into  Guilty by Suspicion,  a sobering drama about the Hollywood blacklist era, starring Robert De Niro as a principled director navigating loyalty, fear, and career collapse during the Red Scare. They examine the film's historical framing, De Niro's restrained performance, and how the story avoids big courtroom theatrics in favor of quieter moral te...

This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes discuss  Men of Honor , the inspirational military drama starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carl Brashear, the first Black U.S. Navy Master Diver, and Robert De Niro as his grizzled, racist-turned-mentor. They unpack the film's classic biopic formula, its effective performances, and the tension between its uplifting message and Hollywood gloss. Plus: inspirationa...

This week on  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike tackle  Shark Tale , DreamWorks' aggressively early-2000s animated mob comedy where Robert De Niro voices a mafia shark and Will Smith plays a fast-talking fish with debts to pay. They unpack the film's wild tonal dissonance, endless pop culture references, and questionable audience—while asking: who exactly was this movie for? Plus: DreamWorks vs. Pi...

It's our 30th episode, and we're breaking format to celebrate the citizens of De Niro Nation! We pop some beers and dive into your letters — responding to burning questions about De Niro's comedic chops, the accuracy of mental health portrayals in film, and which directors lost the plot after early success. One Mike surprises the other with a few unrehearsed "burning questions," and we both reflec...

This week on  Our Hero De Niro , the Mikes finally reach  Midnight Run —one of De Niro's most beloved performances and a gold-standard buddy comedy. They celebrate the film's perfect casting, sharp script, and emotional core, while digging into what makes Jack Walsh and Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas such a compelling odd couple. Plus: train food, Danny Elfman discourse, and a lecture on inflation....

In this episode of Our Hero De Niro , the Mikes dig into The Good Shepherd , a somber, sprawling CIA origin story directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon as a buttoned-up spymaster slowly consumed by secrecy and sacrifice. They explore the film's bleak tone, dense plot, and De Niro's quiet hand as a director, while considering what the film reveals about institutional loyalty, paranoia,...

This week, Mike and Mike are joined by returning guest Caroline for a deep dive into  Wag the Dog , Barry Levinson's razor-sharp political satire about media manipulation and manufactured war. Together they unpack the film's uncanny relevance, its best one-liners, and the very weird energy of late-90s media cynicism. Plus: government interference, catchy patriotic jingles, and a whole lot of Alban...

This week on  Our Hero De Niro , the Mikes suffer through  Arthur and the Minimoys  (a.k.a.  Arthur and the Invisibles ), Luc Besson's baffling animated/live-action hybrid featuring a thousand-year-old princess, hideous elf creatures, and Robert De Niro as a pointy-eared king. They unpack the film's awkward visuals, Madonna's mind-numbing voice acting, and whether this is the worst De Niro perform...

In this episode, the Mikes descend into the smoky, saxophone-laced world of Angel Heart , a Southern Gothic neo-noir starring Mickey Rourke as a weary private eye and Robert De Niro as his mysterious client. They unpack the film's surreal horror, slow-burn twist, and vibes-over-plot aesthetic—while also admitting how much of it they missed on first watch. Plus: chicken phobias, Old Bay cocktails,...

In this episode of  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike discuss  Sleepers , Barry Levinson's harrowing legal drama about four childhood friends whose lives are forever changed after a traumatic stint in juvenile detention. With one of Robert De Niro's most quietly powerful performances as Father Bobby, the hosts explore the film's emotional weight, its ambitious narrative structure, and its moral com...

In this episode of  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike unpack  The Fan , Tony Scott's frenetic psychological thriller starring Robert De Niro as a deranged baseball obsessive and Wesley Snipes as the all-star outfielder who becomes his target. They explore the film's over-the-top style, De Niro's intense performance, and the movie's commentary on sports fandom gone awry. Plus: knife talk, Nine Inch...

In this episode of  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike suffer through  The Bag Man , a forgotten neo-noir trainwreck starring John Cusack as a sad hitman and Robert De Niro as a villain with puffy hair. In a listener-inspired experiment, the hosts swap roles—one going full smooth-brain, the other overanalyzing a movie that gives them nothing to work with. Along the way: Blade connections, bad ADR, a...

In this episode of  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike reluctantly hunt down  Killing Season —a grim, bafflingly dull two-hander starring Robert De Niro and John Travolta as war-scarred men locked in a nonsensical game of vengeance. They dissect the film's hideous color grading, inconsistent geography, and the worst De Niro performance in the podcast so far. Along the way: Jägermeister shots, nature...

For their 20th episode, Mike and Mike take a break from De Niro recaps to reflect on how the podcast has evolved, which episodes and performances stood out, and what it means to be a citizen of De Niro Nation. They revisit favorite (and least favorite) films, compare their average ratings, and answer listener questions ranging from movie theater economics to how De Niro will be remembered. Grab an...

In this episode of Our Hero De Niro, Mike and Mike are joined by special guest Caroline for a chaotic literary dive into Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein—a lavish, dizzyingly shot adaptation starring Robert De Niro as the world's most eloquent monster. The trio unpacks the film's tonal whiplash, Rube Goldberg resurrection machines, and De Niro's first full-frontal appearance.   Wikipe...

This week, the Mikes tackle  The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle , Robert De Niro's passion project turned historic box office bomb. They debate the film's baffling tone, questionable CGI, and surprisingly stacked cast. One Mike is charmed while the other is not. It's an episode that's for the birds.   Wikipedia page for  The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle .   Films recommended this episode...

In this week's episode, the Mikes mop up the mess that is  Joy , David O. Russell's quirky biopic starring Jennifer Lawrence as the inventor of the self-wringing Miracle Mop. They question whether the film's tone ever catches up to its content, reflect on why  I Heart Huckabees  succeeds where  Joy  stumbles, and spiral into a rant about the 2015  Point Break  remake.   Wikipedia page for  Joy .  ...

In this episode of Our Hero De Niro, Mike and Mike take on Marvin's Room, a schmaltzy 90s drama with an all-star cast—Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro as the goofy Dr. Wally. The Mikes unpack the film's, big actor moments, Lifetime movie aesthetic, and whether or not it made them cry.   Wikipedia page for Marvin's Room .   Film recommended this episode: The Rainmak...

On this episode, Mike and Mike discuss 1971's The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight , a mafia slapstick starring Jerry Orbach, Leigh Taylor-Young, and a young Robert De Niro as a kleptomaniac cyclist-turned-fake-priest. The hosts discuss mafia nicknames, lion abuse, and the film's baffling attempt at satire.   Wikipedia page for The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight .   Film recommended this episo...

This week, Mike and Mike watch The Score (2001), a heist film starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett, and Marlon Brando in his final role. The Mikes dive into Frank Oz's directorial career, debate the film's ending, and assess whether this forgotten caper deserves more love. Wikipedia page for The Score .   Film recommended this episode: Thief Heat Follow Mike and Mike on Letterbox...

In this episode of  Our Hero De Niro , Mike and Mike relive the comedic chaos of  Meet the Parents (2000). They unpack De Niro's expert face-acting, Stiller's ever-worsening luck, and the movie's most absurd moments. Along the way, they question Greg Focker's life choices and how they'd react in his situation.   Wikipedia page for Meet the Parents .   Film recommended this episode: Tropic Thunder...

We dive into The Alto Knights , where Robert De Niro pulls double duty as feuding mobsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. From clunky narration to chaotic editing, we unpack this curious late-career entry and reflect on dual De Niros and the modern theatergoing experience.   Wikipedia page for The Alto Knights .   Film recommended this episode: Hell or High Water Zodiac Follow Mike and Mike on...

This week, we tackle Godsend, a psychological horror-thriller that somehow manages to be neither. Starring Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn, and Robert De Niro as a shady fertility doctor, the film follows a grieving couple who clone their dead son—only to discover something is deeply wrong with their 'miracle' child. We break down the absurd twists, baffling logic, and failed attempts at horror in th...